Grocery prices - re you, or the wide range of people you know?

For years I shopped at Publix, which is not known for its low prices, but is great on service. Since grocery prices ave jumped, I have be going to Costco or Sam's Club for certain things, and even to Wal-Mart.

Problem is, although my Publix bill is much lower, the stuff that I buy in the other places more than makes up for the difference.

Yeah, Waffle House can get expensive, especially if you run into Kid Rock when you go there.

unfortunately... kiss customer service goodbye across the board.... in every walk of life.

Very high prices here, too.

I have almost stopped buying any organic, buy much poorer quality fruit and veg generally....

Me TOO! I love Publix...they give my kids cookies when I go in and they keep their kids carts so clean...Definitely a great place for service...but ridiculous for pricing...but it is close to the house and convenient. Well, when prices started going up I had to switch to Walmart...I haven't felt the pinch so much because of it. I was being wasteful before though...so easy to fall into the convenience trap.

I've always shopped supermarket specials and I do use coupons whenever I can. I use mainly the coupons that come with the Sunday newspaper circulars, which are often tied in to the supermarket specials, so I wind up saving quite a bit of money each week. I still buy only those favorite brands or items I want to use, I just wait until they are on sale. I get a real kick out of looking at the register receipt and seeing how much I've saved.

I have no problems with the quality or range of products available at the many supermarkets near me. The selection is vast, and I buy my produce and seafood at the supermarkets that seem to have the freshest, highest quality items in those particular areas. I am not a big fan of organic produce, I'd rather concentrate on simply buying mainly in-season items.

For fun, I also shop at Trader Joe's. Prices there are quite good and they carry items I can't find at the supermarket--frozen Thai style soy ginger carrots, large jars of excellent eggplant caponata, more exotic frozen entrees, good cooking sauces, etc. as well as a whole range of products that make eating more interesting and pleasurable. I love Trader Joe's and, when I shop there, I really don't worry about price. These are the treats I reward myself with by using the money I figure I've saved by careful supermarket shopping and eating out very infrequently.

So, I don't feel deprived of anything when it comes to shopping for food. I can get both great selection and great prices very close to home. It just takes a little advance planning by paying careful attention to weekly supermarket ads and trying to get what I want to eat at the lowest possible prices. I'm fortunate because there are five very large supermarkets very near me. So, if one doesn't have my favorite brand of orange juice or ice cream on sale for half price, another one is likely to. And, if none of them have what I want on sale, I just wait a week and they will.

I guess, more than 95% of the organic groceries I buy are in-season items, only 5% is frozen, over the year that is.

BPB, I agree about Whole Foods. The produce is high quality, and not much more than other local grocery stores. And the bulk grains and spices are a very good deal.

We also have several farmer's markets in our area on different days, but I find the "freshness" of their fruits no better than the supermarkets, and at higher prices. I usually buy the unusual such as a tamales or flowered plants at the farmer's market, but mainly, we go for the walk. I tasted the grapes at several of the stalls, and they were sour!

Fruits are usually priced about $2.50/lb at the farmer's market, and the supermarket will have them on sale at .99c/lb. No contest.

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. P. talked me into buying a pressure cooker. Now, the last time I used a pressure cooker must have been thirty years ago. I thought he was nuts, but I gave in.

All of a sudden I start seeing articles about young people discovering pressure cookers. For those who are not aware of these pots, pressure cookers cook with superheated steam. As a result, tough pieces of meat (usually the cheaper cuts) can be made tender in 1/3 the time of regular braising.

Mr. P. and I got into a discussion of the cost of food, and how pressure cookers will enable people to produce flavorful, tender dishes from inexpensive cuts of meat. Since the cooking cuts the time by 2/3, less electricity and/or gas is used, which is also a saving.

Here is a good explanation of pressure cookers:

http://www.fabulousfoods.com/index.php?option=com_resource&controller=article&category_id=222&article=19975

I produce, wild harvest or barter for about 50% of our food. I can't remember the last time I purchased garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, cabbage or canned soup. I have access to a few specialty small farms for what I don't produce, things like pork or duck. Mostly I go to a co-op market that caters to local restaurant chefs, the quality is excellent and the prices reasonable. It's the main place I buy organic flour, basmati rice, spices, olive oil, imported cheeses, some fish and odds and ends like capers. I do what I refer to as "toilet paper" shopping at a local chain supermarket. I have never been to a Whole Foods or Trader Joe's, they are not in my area. I have always cooked on the cheap - soups, pot pies, pizza, lots of veggies with meat as a part of the meal not the focus.

Phoenix is correct about finding you can spend more in a place like Walmart. They are cheap on name brands, but most people toss a few impulse items into their wagon. They tempt you with convenience food, and non-food items like craft stuff, candy, gift cards, stationery, etc. More people give in than don't. I use to teach a course about how to feed a family cheap, I advised staying away from big box grocers and always shop alone with a list. I'm also amazed at how many people still purchase based on sticker price and not unit price.

I do 90% of my grocery shopping at whole foods. I do some of it at star market. When I look for my whole food brands in star market's healthy food section, I notice that their prices are around 30% higher than whole foods sells the same brands for. A can of Amy's soup at WFs is like 2.40, at SM it's over 3.00 and the same follows for other products.

Star must be jacking up the healthy food prices to keep their shoppers at their own stores.

A bottle of Coke is now $1.69 at Walgreens.

I haven't bought a coke in years (aha, but I have bought the odd diet coke).

Pellegrino (much better for you, how much I've no idea) varies from 1.60 to something like 2.50, for 750 ml.

We have some discrepancy here, re those with access to markets like TJ's, Whole Foods, and those who are far away from those.

Not everyone on a2k has Whole Foods access - even me, the loud one, has a ten mile trek to it.

I remember getting a bottle of Coke for a nickle or a dime in Arizona in the 1950s.
U got them from vending machines.

Sorry for the double stuff.

U r forgiven

Are the hamsters on strike?

No, that's just me.